International Policy Environment

Worldwide there is increasing recognition of the political importance of animal welfare and a corresponding, fast-growing body of internationally and regionally accepted science-based standards, conventions, treaties, regulations, directives and agreements.

This resource is intended as a guide for advocacy strategy development, and outlines key international agencies and policymaking bodies whose work affects animal welfare, together with WAN’s notes on current advocacy efforts and future advocacy possibilities. There are several ways to browse this database: by location of the organization's headquarters, location of their work, by area of issue focus (i.e. farm animals, wildlife, etc.), or by organization type (i.e. international financial institution, non-governmental organization, etc.). Or, you can view a list of all the organizations in the database. Click on an image below to begin browsing.